THE contempt that three-year-old Doubtful Jack had for the best horses currently racing in Victoria in winning yesterday's Winter Championship final has prompted trainer Peter Moody to re-think the horse's future.

Doubtful Jack romped away, winning by 6½ lengths, a margin that may have doubled had jockey Luke Nolen wanted.

Going into yesterday's $200,000 final, Moody and the connections of Doubtful Jack were treating the Flemington race as a major event in the three-year-old's career.

 

But the ease of the win for a three-year-old carrying 55 kilograms against older and tougher opposition has moved the trainer to think about some significant spring challenges.

''We were looking at some nice small races at the start of the spring and now we're looking for some bigger and better races during the heart of the spring,'' Moody said. ''After a performance like that, you've really got to think a little bit bigger than just some minor events.

''Our initial reaction before today was to target weight-for-age races in the spring, basically in August and September when the tracks are still wet and the high-class horses weren't so fit.

''But now I think he'll have to have a break for 10 days and be seriously set for some strong races in the spring,'' Moody said.

Not only did Doubtful Jack dominate the final of the Winter Championship on the track but also off it, with the three-year-old stifling all betting.

In fact, so dominant was the horse's appearance in yesterday's race, punters had no qualms in backing him from $1.70 into $1.60 favourite.

Having only his 12th start yesterday, Doubtful Jack has only had two clearcut losses during his short but promising career, but Moody believes that those races could have been excused.

''They were on the Gold Coast and Sydney and perhaps he was a bit new in tackling the reverse way of going at such a young age. I certainly am impressed by the huge leaps the horse has taken in the last three months and now a race like the Toorak Handicap the week before the Caulfield Cup could be a great race for him.

''Put it this way, we've got Typhoon Tracy at home who's going to cop about 61 kilograms against handicap company, whereas Doubtful Jack is going to get in with about 51,'' Moody said.

''And the one extra dimension the horse has is that he can handle wet and dry, and it seems 1600 metres is no problem to him''.

Nolen concurred with his trainer about Doubtful Jack's dominance against the best middle-distance horses racing in Victoria.

Doubtful Jack scored from Pinnacles at $26, with $14 chance Riceman a half-length away in third.

Further ammunition for Moody to aim at races such as the Toorak Handicap during the spring is the fact that the past two winners of the Winter Championship final were Sea Battle and Gold Salute. Both had an impact during the spring following their successes in this race.

Pinnacles tried valiantly lumping his 59 kilograms into second but the six-year-old had no answer to the brilliance of the runaway winner.

PATRICK BARTLEY - The Age

July 11, 2010